| . |
Civil
Nuisance Laws |
Criminal
Nuisance Laws |
| Activities
the laws target |
Unhealthy,
immoral or obnoxious behavior which may be, but is not
necessarily a violation of the criminal law as well.
|
Criminal
Behavior. |
| Examples
of targeted activities |
Excessive
noise, piles of garbage and trash and inordinate amounts
of foot or car traffic |
Drug
dealing, prostitution, gambling and gang activities. |
| Who
can sue |
Public
agencies such as city health departments, law enforcements
agencies and in many states affected neighbors, who may
band together and sue for large sums in small claims court. |
Law
enforcement agencies only. |
| Possible
consequences to the landlord |
A
court ordering the offending tenant, and sometimes the
landlord to compensate other tenant. If a health , fire
or other enforcement agency brings the nuisance action
based on many violations, it can result in a court order
closing down the entire building. |
Liability
for money damages plus fines and imprisonment. |
